June 14, 2010
Dehumidifier Maintenance Parts and Advice
Dehumidifier
Even though summer doesn’t officially start until June 21st, hot weather has already arrived in most of the country, and with it high humidity levels in the atmosphere.
High humidity is not only unpleasant, but can cause mold and mildew to grow inside your home. A number of health risks (allergies, infections, respiratory problems, etc.) are associated with mold in the air. Insects, including clothes moths, fleas and cockroaches flourish in areas of high humidity. For healthy air, relative humidity in most homes should be 30 to 50%.
Dehumidifier is a small appliance that extracts moisture out of the air. This is how it works: by using a fan to pull ventilation over two sets of refrigerant-filled coils (one cool and one warm,) saturation vapor pressure of water decreases, causing the water in the air to condense and drip into a collecting bucket. Different dehumidifiers have various levels of effectiveness in removing moisture during the same period of time. Dehumidifiers vary according to tank size, water removal, humidistat accuracy, energy efficiency, noise and frost control.
Maintenance advice for your dehumidifier from RepairClinic.com:
- Get your dehumidifier ready for the cooling season. Check to see that the humidistat is set correctly. If it is set too high (low humidity), the unit may run continuously, which is unnecessary. Hygrometer is a very useful tool that helps you determine the correct setting for your humidistat.
- Clean your dehumidifier water container.
- Replace your dehumidifier filter. RepairClinic.com has several to choose from in our dehumidifier accessories section.
- If you need a part for a broken dehumidifier, RepairClinic.com has parts for any unit.
Have a cool and pleasant summer!
May 3, 2010
Advice for Your Air Conditioner and Dehumidifier
Dehumidifier and Air Conditioner
With warmer temperatures imminent as the summer months quickly approach, May is a good month to take care of the appliances that will keep your home cool and comfortable.
These are some recommendations from the RepairClinic.com experts on the steps that you can take to get prepared:
- Clean the condenser coils on your window or through-the-wall air conditioner. In order to gain access to the coils, it is best to remove the entire cover of the unit. Be on the lookout for wasp or bees nests inside the unit. You can clean the coils by blowing compressed air at them or by using a soft bristle brush. Be sure to also clean any dirt or lint build up in the bottom of the air conditioner. And, don’t forget to oil the motor – if your air conditioner is equipped with oil ports on its sides.
- May is also a good month to clean or replace the air conditioner filter. Depending on the quality of the air in your home, this may need to be done once a month throughout the cooling season. If you need to replace the filter, try electrostatic filter cut-to-fit material from RepairClinic.com. This filter will fit most air conditioners.
- Don’t forget about your dehumidifier. Check to see that the humidistat is correctly set. If set too high, the unit may run continuously, which is wasteful and unnecessary. RepairClinic sells a useful tool, a hygrometer, to determine the correct setting for your humidistat.
- Clean your dehumidifier water container by washing it with soapy water.
- Replace your dehumidifier filter. RepairClinic.com has a wide verity to choose from.
Gracious Living - Day by Day 